Lexus 400 or Jag XJ8
Discussion
Looking for a comfortable late 90,s V8 barge which will be left outside on the drive and used as a daily as and when, Apologies if this subject has been dealt with before. pros for the Lexus better engineered engine(no timing chain tensioner issues as on the Jag) better build quality? pros for the Jag looks, nicer interior. Both makes are going so cheaply at the moment for what you get.Opinions please?
If you choose the XJ - and why not 
then you'll need to be prepared to spend time finding a good one. There's way too many stone rashed shagged out examples on dealers forecourts so you'd be better off looking on carsandclassics, the JEC and Jaguar World classifieds to to get an enthusiast maintained one that's had the necessary gearbox oil and timing chain tensioner swaps.
You'll need to check very carefully for evidence of corrosion behind the front shocks, odd wear on front tyres and clonks and knocks from the suspension. Hard driven XJs are very tough on brakes and suspension components. Early (pre 2000) cars should have had the throttlebody changed under a recall and it's a smart move to fit the later design of waterpump on an early car too but there's no need to reject one with the original nicasil lined engine now - if it was going to fail it'd have done so years ago.
I'm on my second XJ8 and took the first to 100k with no problems. But, like any 10 year old + car they do need care and looking after if they are to remain reliable.
then you'll need to be prepared to spend time finding a good one. There's way too many stone rashed shagged out examples on dealers forecourts so you'd be better off looking on carsandclassics, the JEC and Jaguar World classifieds to to get an enthusiast maintained one that's had the necessary gearbox oil and timing chain tensioner swaps. You'll need to check very carefully for evidence of corrosion behind the front shocks, odd wear on front tyres and clonks and knocks from the suspension. Hard driven XJs are very tough on brakes and suspension components. Early (pre 2000) cars should have had the throttlebody changed under a recall and it's a smart move to fit the later design of waterpump on an early car too but there's no need to reject one with the original nicasil lined engine now - if it was going to fail it'd have done so years ago.
I'm on my second XJ8 and took the first to 100k with no problems. But, like any 10 year old + car they do need care and looking after if they are to remain reliable.
They are both very nice. Buy a well looked after example of either and it should provide you many, many miles of great motoring.
I would probably go for the Lexus. It reminds me a bit of my Audi, very straight laced design with an an emphasis on engineering excellence. Supremely comfortable too.
The Jaguar may be a little more 'overt' in it's character and quintessentially British too, but it will also be comfortable and reliable if well looked after. It may feel a little old fashioned compared to the Lexus though. Try both and see what you think, they are relatively common after all!
I would probably go for the Lexus. It reminds me a bit of my Audi, very straight laced design with an an emphasis on engineering excellence. Supremely comfortable too.
The Jaguar may be a little more 'overt' in it's character and quintessentially British too, but it will also be comfortable and reliable if well looked after. It may feel a little old fashioned compared to the Lexus though. Try both and see what you think, they are relatively common after all!
SCRR said:
Jags are s
t. Lexus.
Well, gosh, that's us told then. OP, better buy the Lexus. t. Lexus.
SCRR, you may not come across as quite so much of a plonker if you actually explained why you have this opinion of Jags.
Edited to add: I take back what I said SCRR. After cyber stalking you a little, it appears your answer in this thread is positively verbose.
Edited by Ace-T on Saturday 15th September 21:32
Very tricky one, the Jag certainly looks nicer and has more of a sense of occaion but the Lexus is better built,less likely to rot and better equipped as standard.
Dont suppose economys a big concern and probably similar for the 4.0 Jag but the 3.2 Jag is a nice drive and I think noticeably more economical than the Lexus.
I've had an XJ8 but not an LS but do have a Honda Legend that ticks the efficient yet anonymous Japanese barge box but if it were me I think I'd buy.........Hornetriders E38 Bmw from the Bargain Barge thread!
Dont suppose economys a big concern and probably similar for the 4.0 Jag but the 3.2 Jag is a nice drive and I think noticeably more economical than the Lexus.
I've had an XJ8 but not an LS but do have a Honda Legend that ticks the efficient yet anonymous Japanese barge box but if it were me I think I'd buy.........Hornetriders E38 Bmw from the Bargain Barge thread!
I had this choice a few years ago. I looked at a number of examples of both and ended up going for an XJ8 in Daimler (top end) spec.
The Lexus has an excellent reputation for reliability, but I could see myself getting bored of it very quickly. It is extremely well made, and is a solid motorway cruiser, but there is really not much more to say about it. I felt that there was little pleasure to be had in driving or owning it. The XJ8 has real charm and is much more exciting to drive.
The LS400 has attracted the bling crowd, which means that many of them have been modded in dubious taste (aftermarket DRLs, underbody lighting etc.). It is hard to find a good unmolested one. Some of the examples I saw were pretty ropey and hadn't been serviced in years. There seems to be an odd perception in the trade that the cars are bulletproof and so servicing and maintenance are not required
With the XJ8 the overall standard of used examples is IMHO starting to go up, because people are cherishing them more. It is getting easier to find a good quality standard car with the well-known issues sorted. The sellers tend to speak proper English, with complete sentences. JaguarSteve talks a huge amount of sense. There is undoubtedly a lot of rubbish out there but a few easy checks and some advice from a specialist will enable you to filter most of it out.
Personally I would go for the XJ8 every time. The first one I bought needed nothing at all and I took it to 120K before selling it. The second one needed a huge amount of work, but I knew that when I bought it (it was a rare spec, so I couldn't be too fussy) and once sorted I took it to 196K before trading it in.
The Lexus has an excellent reputation for reliability, but I could see myself getting bored of it very quickly. It is extremely well made, and is a solid motorway cruiser, but there is really not much more to say about it. I felt that there was little pleasure to be had in driving or owning it. The XJ8 has real charm and is much more exciting to drive.
The LS400 has attracted the bling crowd, which means that many of them have been modded in dubious taste (aftermarket DRLs, underbody lighting etc.). It is hard to find a good unmolested one. Some of the examples I saw were pretty ropey and hadn't been serviced in years. There seems to be an odd perception in the trade that the cars are bulletproof and so servicing and maintenance are not required
With the XJ8 the overall standard of used examples is IMHO starting to go up, because people are cherishing them more. It is getting easier to find a good quality standard car with the well-known issues sorted. The sellers tend to speak proper English, with complete sentences. JaguarSteve talks a huge amount of sense. There is undoubtedly a lot of rubbish out there but a few easy checks and some advice from a specialist will enable you to filter most of it out.
Personally I would go for the XJ8 every time. The first one I bought needed nothing at all and I took it to 120K before selling it. The second one needed a huge amount of work, but I knew that when I bought it (it was a rare spec, so I couldn't be too fussy) and once sorted I took it to 196K before trading it in.
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